10/10 Would Listen: Intern edition

Liam Apter is the current editorial intern at the Pilerats office in Perth. I've previously worked at adamNOTeve, Music Feeds, The Brag and I run my own blog which the Guardian picked up last year and chose as blog of the week. I've also covered some of Australia's biggest festivals including Laneway, Listen Out and Splendour In The Grass at the ripe age of eighteen. I've got a keen passion for just about anything except hardcore and dubstep. 

1. Young Fathers (pictured) - Soon Come Soon

Young Fathers came to my attention at the beginning of the year through Elizabeth Rose posting about their then new album Dead which went onto later win the Mercury Prize in the UK. Live these guys are a powerhouse, with their drummer snapping sticks throughout the show and denting them cymbals from his force. And that's before you get to the energy of the rest of the group, it's hypnotic. And while Soon Come Soon isn't the vicious sonic hounds that Young Fathers put out it does have the unique restless that all Young Fathers' songs contain.

2. Tobias Jesso Jr. - Hollywood

I actually wrote about Tobias Jesso Jr. last week spruking this very track. So there isn't much else to say but this beautiful 6 minute slow burner explores the difficulties of achieving despite putting in everything. And coping with the failure. Tobias Jesso Jr. is currently one of my favourite acts and someone to watch for 2015. 

3. Last Night In Paris - Pure (Taurean Roye, KC, Danny Seth & Collard)

I came across Last Night In Paris through a Dazed curated film titled Pure which in short is a cinematic trip looking at a gang's experience in the UK. Last Night Paris was the musical curator of the project which features future dream hip-hop cuts and also one of the best raps against a mean beat aroudn 2:20 on the clip. And below is the track that came out of this film with Dazed:

4. Thestand4rd - Tryna Fuk / No Reply

We posted about this album recently but Tryna Fuk / No Reply is the stand out track of this album because it illustrates the power of Spooky Black to make Psymon, Bobby Raps and Allan Kingdom to stand out as quality artists. Indeed, it's the soulful lyricism of Spooky Black that brings you in and what gives it such a strong vocal hook at the chorus. And of course you can't forget that chopped, thudding bass line that gives the infuses the track with energy. Whether or not thestand4rd go onto bigger things, it's an exciting new album that cements the talent of Spooky Black. 

5. POLO - after time

POLO first came to my attention via this ever-so gently re-worked composition of Kanye West's Love Lockdown with some wet percussions and a rough filter added to Kanye's voice. POLO's latest re-work is of Taylor Swift's Shake It Off. Now outside of this I've got no interest in Taylor Swift whatsoever but the sense of vibrancy in POLO's production adds a different angle to an otherwise normal pop song. Indeed, the heavy use of percussion, a production style used frequently throughout his music, with futuristic synths crafts this into a dreamy, almost 64 bitesque pop. 

6. Shy Girls - Renegade

Shy Girls make some excellent down-tempo trap with vocals remnisicent of The Weeknd. An oft over-worked genre that Shy Girls has cut through to make his mark. It starts with a relatively unobtrusive intro but it's the trap breakdown that infuses with Shy Girls vocals makes it noticeable. 

7. Lee (asano + ryuhei) - 50kg (instrumental)

Lee is a japanese artist that puts out heavily chopped, sampled lo-fi instrumentals as well as designing his own artworks. The closet sonic comparison is Thrupence but unlike Thrupence Lee does not share the same slow tempos and spaced out tracks. Instead Lee crams together fast-paced drums, a varying array of dry percussion and something sonically akin to sleigh bells. At times it can be hit and miss but it's often very soothing. 

8. Surf Dad - Honey

Surf Dad's latest offering is a lovely cut of dreamy electronica with atmospheric vocals spaced throughout it. And Furthermore, the reverb laced piano that seeps throughout track creates a sense of relaxation. Albeit there isn't much in the way of chord progression but this choice has a calming effect on the listener. Indeed, the constant layering of synths and airy vocals creates this overpowering mood that puts you at ease. It's as if you've held yourself away from something delicious for so long and after feasting on it you feel this great sense of content come over you. 

9. Luke Howard - Longplay

I first came across Luke Howard through a delicately handled Japanese Wallpaper remix of his track Slumber. Luke Howard's composition are entirely instrumental and in the case of Longplay features him composing a soothing, rhythmic piece of music. The gentle licks create a sense of peace against the constant strumming in the background which adds a sense of rush as if to signal that this won't last forever. Indeed, as the piece progresses it takes on an almost sombre mood. 

10. Thrupence - Lessons (4th original mixtape)

By adding this in I'm pushings things a little but Thrupence's lastest mixtape is one of the best sample-based mixtapes I've heard in a very long time. Featuring hip-hopesque drum beats, soulful vocals, intoxicating harps and an overall luxurious lo-fi feel that fits the heavy sampling. Thrupence is arguably one of Australia's most talented but sorely under-represented artists of recent years.